Zi Wei Dou Shu uses over a hundred stars. This reference covers all 14 major stars, the six auspicious auxiliary stars, the six adversity stars, the minor stars, and the year deities — each with palace meanings, brightness levels, and classical sources.

What Are the Stars in Zi Wei Dou Shu?

Zi Wei Dou Shu (紫微斗數) places stars into twelve life palaces to map tendencies, timing, and relationships. The classical system organizes the stars into five tiers: the fourteen major stars (十四主星), auxiliary stars (辅星), B-grade minor stars (乙级星), cycle deities (长生十二神 / 博士十二神), and year deities (岁前十二神 / 将前十二神).

The fourteen major stars divide into the Purple Star family (six stars of the Northern Dipper) and the Heavenly Treasury family (eight stars of the Southern Dipper), with Sun and Moon holding the middle heaven. Everything else modifies the major stars — rarely overriding them, always coloring them.

The 14 Major Stars

The backbone of every chart: fourteen major stars (十四主星) divide into the Purple Star family (Northern Dipper) and the Heavenly Treasury family (Southern Dipper), with Sun and Moon in the middle heaven.

The Six Auspicious Stars

Left Assistant, Right Assistant, Literary Star, Literature Music, Heavenly Noble, and Heavenly Axe (六吉星) support and refine the major stars.

The Six Adversity Stars

Blade, Spiral, Fire, Bell, Sky Void, and Earth Robbery (六煞星) add friction, urgency, or challenge — and in strong charts, power.

Prosperity & Movement

Prosperity Star and Heavenly Horse (禄存天马) govern wealth storage and movement.

Minor Stars

Twenty-nine B-grade stars (乙级星) color the palaces: romance, study, travel, misfortune, and blessing.

Cycle Deities

The twelve Growth stages (长生十二神) and twelve Doctor spirits (博士十二神), plus Heavenly Wound and Heavenly Messenger.

Year Deities

The year-branch deities (岁前十二神 / 将前十二神) used for annual timing.

Star Brightness Levels (廟旺平陷)

Brightness describes how strongly a star expresses in each of the twelve palace positions. The traditional table — followed in this encyclopedia — comes from the Zi Wei Dou Shu Quan Shu (紫微斗數全書) and distinguishes seven levels:

Brightness is not destiny: a fallen star with strong auspicious support often outperforms a temple star with no support. Read the combination, not the label.

How to Read Stars in Your Chart

1. Start with the major star in each palace — it anchors the palace's theme.
2. Add the auxiliary stars: auspicious stars refine, adversity stars add friction or drive.
3. Apply the Four Transformations (化禄/权/科/忌) — they show where energy flows, strengthens, is recognized, or gets stuck.

Generate your chart free and see which stars land where: Star Chart Calculator →

Classical Sources

Quotes in this encyclopedia follow the Zi Wei Dou Shu Quan Shu (紫微斗數全書) and the modern compilation Zi Wei Dou Shu Jing Cheng (紫微斗数精成), which organizes the classical material by star and palace. Where a direct quotation is unavailable, pages use a paraphrase clearly marked as classical framework.

Common Questions

How many stars are in Zi Wei Dou Shu?

Over a hundred. This encyclopedia covers 107: 14 major stars, auxiliary stars, 29 minor stars, cycle deities, and year deities.

What is the most important star?

The Purple Star (Zi Wei) is the most honored — the Emperor. But the star in your Life Palace always matters most for how you experience the chart.

Do all charts have all 14 major stars?

Yes — every chart contains all fourteen, arranged in a fixed sequence. The palaces they land in make each chart unique.

See which stars are in your chart →